Australia: Possible plane debris found

2 years ago

(NEWSER) – After 13 days, has Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 finally been found? Australian authorities say four military search planes have been sent to check on two possible pieces of plane debris spotted via satellite in the Indian Ocean around 1,500 miles southwest of Perth, the larger of which is around 80 feet across, reports CNN. TheAP reports the first plane had no luck in locating the debris through clouds and rain, but that the other planes would continue the hunt. Still, Australian authorities warn against jumping to conclusions. Satellite images "do not always turn out to be related to the search even if they look good, so we will hold our views on that until they are sighted close-up," says John Young, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's emergency response chief.

Aircraft from the US and New Zealand are also on their way to the debris site, along with a merchant ship and an Australian naval vessel, the BBC reports. Malaysian authorities have been informed of the find and will hold a press conference later today. "Every lead is a hope. We have been consistent with our process and we want to verify properly," a government spokesman says.